Zig-zag eel care
Mastacembelus armatus · Rivers of South and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia
Zig-zag eels are spiny eels, not true eels, that bury themselves in sand with only the head showing.
- Tank size
- 55 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 82 °F (22 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one per tank)
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 20 in (in aquariums; up to 36 in in the wild)
- pH
- 6.5 to 7.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 6 to 20 dGH
- Lifespan
- 10 to 18 years
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 55 gallon
48¼ × 12¾ × 21 in outsideHow to keep zig-zag eels
Zig-zag eels are spiny eels, not true eels, that bury themselves in sand with only the head showing. An adult needs a 55 gallon or larger tank (4 feet long) at 72 to 82 °F with soft sand, a tight lid and tankmates too big to swallow; keep one per tank.
Diet: Carnivore: live and frozen worms, bloodworm, brine shrimp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Zig-zag eel tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Kissing gourami
12 in · 75+ gal · 72–82 °F
Uaru
9.8 in · 75+ gal · 79–86 °F
Blood parrot cichlid
8 in · 55+ gal · 76–80 °F
Severum
8 in · 55+ gal · 75–84 °F
Angelfish
6 in · 29+ gal · 76–84 °F
Giant danio
6 in · 55+ gal · 72–79 °F
Rosy barb
6 in · 29+ gal · 64–77 °F
Denison barb
6 in · 55+ gal · 64–77 °F
Keep apart
Neon tetra: Adult zig-zag eels eat fish under about 2 in; neon tetras grow to 1.6 in.
Cardinal tetra: Adult zig-zag eels eat fish under about 2 in; cardinal tetras grow to 1.2 in.
Black neon tetra: Adult zig-zag eels eat fish under about 2 in; black neon tetras grow to 1.5 in.
Green neon tetra: Adult zig-zag eels eat fish under about 2 in; green neon tetras grow to 1 in.
Ember tetra: Adult zig-zag eels eat fish under about 2 in; ember tetras grow to 1.2 in.
Glowlight tetra: Adult zig-zag eels eat fish under about 2 in; glowlight tetras grow to 1.5 in.
What a zig-zag eel tank needs
A tank of 55 US gallons or more (such as the 55 gallon) with a tight lid (they jump), and the equipment below.
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Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 200
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon zig-zag eel tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Seachem Tidal 55
Rated by the maker for up to 55 US gal, which covers a 55 gallon zig-zag eel tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon Pro 150
Zig-zag eels need 72 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding zig-zag eels.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 82 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 55 gallon tank · Heaters for a 55 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common zig-zag eel problems
- Two spiny eels fight; keep one.
- They escape through gaps; cover the tank.
- Sharp gravel scratches them; use soft sand.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Mastacembelus armatus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Zig-zag eel Adolsomee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kissing gourami 5snake5, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Uaru Brent Tibbats, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Blood parrot cichlid Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Severum Trisha M Shears, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Giant danio Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rosy barb Kkonstan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Denison barb Anandarajkumar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black ghost knifefish Vassil, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Senegal bichir Zhyla at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Elephantnose fish Jutta234, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- African butterflyfish Toniher, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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